As You Remember The Flame
by Bushy51
Summary: A detailed account of a Pokemon Trainer on his way to becoming the best there ever was. The familiarity may strike you as odd, but please remember. These memories are of a precious time, where fire and the color red abound.
1. Prologue

A shooting star passes in the night sky.

Suddenly, a vision... A lush forest. Two monsters in a clearing. Are they... Fighting?

A purple blob... A ghost with a frightening, red glare? And a pink rabbit... With a horn? I don't understand...

… What? Is that a dragon? There's a ring of fire! Why do I feel so excited? So... Determined? The beast roars loudly, and my vision fades to black.

My senses returned shortly thereafter. But who... Who is this? An elderly fellow, in a purple shirt and lab coat... Aged by the strain of hard work and the years of knowledge attained from experience.

"Hello, there! Glad to meet you!" he greets heartily. "Welcome to the world of Pokémon!"

_Who... Are you?_

"My name is Oak. People affectionately refer to me as the Pokémon Professor."

_I see... So... Where am I, exactly?_

"This world... Is inhabited far and wide by creatures called Pokémon." Professor Oak pulled a small red and white sphere out of his pocket. It looked like a capsule of some sort. He dropped the ball on the ground, and a brilliant flash of white light appeared. Out from the light came what appeared to be a small, blue rabbit. It was much like the pink one I saw before, but... It's features were generally quite small.

"For some people, Pokémon are pets. Others use them for battling," continued Oak. "As for myself... I study Pokémon as a profession."

_So that's a Pok__é__mon..._ Just as quickly as the little creature showed up, the Professor pushed what appeared to be the "button" in the center of the capsule, and it shrunk it's way back into the ball.

"But first, tell me about yourself. Are you a boy, or are you a girl?"

_Um, well... Last I checked, I was a boy..._

"And your name?"

_Hm... I suppose I'll go with "Raffaello."_

"Right... So your name is Raffaello." The old man scratched his chin. Then his expression lit up like a torch, and he clapped his hands together one time. A boy appeared; about my age, height, weight. He had bronze, spiky hair and wore a silver dog tag with a black button-up shirt and purple cargo pants. As well as a smug look on his face.

"This is my grandson. He's been your rival since you were both babies," Oak explained. Suddenly, his expression darkened. "... Erm, what was his name again?"

"Grandpa, are you for real? It's Blue, remember? Blue!" yelled the boy, his shoulders shaking with rage.

Professor Oak pondered more, then smiled. "That's right, I remember now! His name is Blue!" Ignoring his grandson-who had his face in his palm-he turned to me. "Raffaello!" he began. "Your very own Pokémon legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with Pokémon awaits! Let's go!"

Falling...

Falling...

Falling...


	2. Chapter 1

I awoke in front of my Nintendo Entertainment System, with the television humming a familiar tune. Apparently I fell asleep playing Super Mario Bros. 3, though the picture appeared pixelated, for the most part. _Just my luck... I was so close to that final castle._

Realizing I had slept in my clothes instead of my pajamas, I slowly stood up and walked over to my dresser. It is a nicely made dresser, and will eventually hold a lot more than current. I noticed the difference between my green carpet and the wooden floor as I sauntered across the room. My clothes dresser, which matched the wood floor, was placed neatly between my desk with my PC on it and my bookshelf, which matched the carpet. I slid my right index finger along my rows of books; the shelves were crammed full of Pokémon books. Browsing through my selection, I came to the conclusion that perhaps I should walk around town a bit more often.

With a smile on my face to greet the sun shining through my window, I strolled over to my PC to check my e-mail. After a moment of boot-up time, I logged in.

"There's no MAIL here," spoke the program.

_Well, dang. No new messages. Let's check my item storage, then, just in case._

I always had hopes of receiving new messages and items. From who, I have no idea, but the thought of it was usually pleasant. As if I were waiting for a package from my grandmother for my birthday, or something along those lines.

I slid my cursor over to "withdraw item," and clicked definitively. My eyes widened. _An item! What luck! _I double-clicked the image, and shortly thereafter, it pixellated it's way onto my desk via transport machine. And there was a note attached. _A Potion?_ _I wonder..._

"Good mornin', Raff! Did you sleep well? I hope this doesn't come as a huge surprise to ya, but I had some extra money lyin' around, so I decided to get this for ya! Hope it comes in handy on one-a your adventures! Love ya!"  
~Father

I laughed out loud. _Good old Father! Always the one for surprises! _I tucked the Potion away into my traveling bag and headed downstairs.

The smell of bacon and eggs overpowered me as I rushed down the staircase. _Good morning, Mother!_

"Oh, Raffie, good morning! You're up early today!" she smiled, kissing my forehead as she rustled my dark-brown hair. "What's with all the excitement? But first, have a seat. Breakfast is ready~"

_Mother, you make the best meals on this earth!_

"Oh, stop it, you're embarrassing me! Just gimme a second."

Her navy blue hair, pulled back into a pony tail today, shimmered in the morning sun. In accordance with her calm demeanor, her gentle frame and lighter skin tone were modest, though at the same time, glamorously feminine. Rather affectionate for a mother of one, I more often than not confided in her when it came to most things, as my father wasn't around much. Not to say I disliked him; in fact, I love both of my parents very much. But her and I connected on a much more personal level. Always smiling, always cheerful, always positive. "Here you are, Raffie! Enjoy!" she sung, setting a plate stacked high with golden pancakes, crisp bacon, and fluffy scrambled eggs. I calmly, yet voraciously, cleared my plate.

_Ahhh. Wonderful as always, Mother!_

"Raffie, come on! I'm surprised you don't have a girlfriend by now, with all that charm!"

I downed my milk in one large gulp and proceeded to bring my dirty dishes to the sink. My mother took a damp sponge and cleaned off the table, making sure that the blue and white checkerboard pattern still shone vibrantly. I could still smell remnants of breakfast over by the stove. To the right, I noticed my mother's precious china cabinet was as clean as ever. Dishes and plates were neatly lined up. Of course, these were strictly for guests, though it didn't really matter to me what silverware we ate with and whatnot. Sitting back down at the table in one of our blue chairs, I glanced over at the TV and realized it had been on this whole time. A movie was on. Three boys were walking on railroad tracks. I think the title of the film was something like "The Runaway Guys," but regardless, it was a good film. Mother began watching it with me, and she sighed.

"... Right. All boys leave home someday. It said so on TV." Surprised, I looked into her deep, purple eyes. They seemed almost misty, as if she were staring off into a faraway land. Suddenly, she looked at me. "Oh, yes! Professor Oak, next door, was looking for you!"

_He was? For what, I wonder?_

"Well I'd be darned if I know! Why don't you go looking for him, Raffie?"

_Thank you, Mother, I'll do that. I'll be back in a little while, all right?_

"You got it, son! I'll be here!" And with that, I shut the front door behind me.


End file.
